Think What You Will
by sugarapplesweet
Summary: The desert can be an unforgiving place, filled with natural and human dangers alike.  Even so, it can also yield great success- if the price on a man's head is right, that is.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** I've edited this chapter as well as the next two as a part of my quest to complete my many neglected stories. The story itself remains the same, but I hope I've managed to clean up some of my writing. Thank you, as always, for reading!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon nor its characters.

-/-

**Chapter One**

"Come on, lucky seven," the man whispered. "Roll out nice and easy for Daddy..."

"Just roll the damn dice," his companion muttered just behind him. He had dipped the brim of his hat just low enough were it was difficult to see his eyes, but he wore a scowl without shame. "We don't have all night."

"Maybe not, my good friend," the first agreed, "but this one roll is all we need to make this night seem all that much longer." With those words, he pulled the purple scarf around his head low over his dark brown eyes. He smirked, his hand's shaking becoming slow and less feverish, until his lips parted in an even white grin. "Here we go!"

The dice bounced across the crate. They were easily to follow, their bright red color being the only thing to separate them from the dirty brown of the walls and the people therein. Not a single dusty eye could look away. Breaths were held and fists were clenched as the dice came to a stop at the crate's edge. No one dared to move until it was certain.

"My Goddess..." an old man gasped. He leaned over his cane and pulled on his white beard in disbelief. "He's done it. The lad got himself a-"

"Seven!"

The man in the bandanna gave a cheer as he swept up the large pile of bank notes laid out before him. When he took the dice as well, a surly-looking fellow across from him growled

"Let me see those dice of yours, Viento," he demanded. "You had to've cheated to get a roll like that."

"A sceptic, eh?" Viento rolled the dice in question about in his hand. "You want to see them? Then be my guest."

As promised, he offered them to the other man across from him. The doubtful fellow shook the pair while suspicious clarity, but it was only after he threw them on the crate that he seemed to be sure. The first roll read seven, and it appeared as if he might be proved right. However, a second roll showed just four, followed by a third of nine.

"I'll be damned," the old man mused aloud. "He really is just that lucky."

"Satisfied, gentlemen?" Viento jeered with an even wider grin. He took the dice back, but he refrained from gloating any further. "Come on then, Gray, let's head back," he said, nodding to his companion. His weight rested heavily on his left leg as he stood. "I'll buy you a drink back at the inn."

The redhead said nothing as he followed him through the small crowd and towards the back door, but the angry scowl on his face refused to fade. Even his bright blue eyes were burning although no one could place just why he was so put out by the night's events. That was aside from his friend who playfully tapped the brim of his faded and battered hat when they stepped out into the night.

"Just what were trying to pull back there, Kai? Did you really think they wouldn't notice?"

"Oh, relax," Viento assured him. He glanced back at the tired wood shack behind them before walking away and lowering his voice. "It's not like any of those idiots could figure it out anyway," he went on. "You know that as well as I do."

"Yeah, and I also know how you are with those tricky sleeves of yours." Gray pulled on said dark leather sleeve. When he did, another set of dice fell to the ground. They were a perfect seven. "That's why you rolled them down, isn't it? So you could switch between these bastards and the honest ones."

"Good eye," Kai laughed. Then his face softened and became more solemn. "You know I hate to do this, really," he said, picking up the trick pair, "but it's the only way you and I can make any money these days, it seems."

"No shit." Reaching into his trench coat while they walked side by side, the redhead pulled out a small tin flask and unscrewed the lid. After bringing it to his lips and tipping it back, he growled in disgust. "Damn thing's empty again."

"Well, it's no wonder," his friend sighed, shaking his head. "You're like a baby on a tit with that thing." Gray's face reddened at the remark, but the man limping beside him only shrugged. "Don't give me that look," he sighed. "You know that's how it is."

"It isn't any of your damn business."

"Maybe not," the man with bandanna replied, "but we can talk about that later. We have more important things to worry about, after all, like finding us some dinner and that drink I promised you."

Kai's right leg suddenly became rigid, bringing him to an abrupt halt, which went unnoticed by his companion.

"It's your damn money, not mine," Gray grumbled. His heavy black boots kicked up the dust from the road as he stormed ahead. When he realized he was walking alone, he stopped and glanced back. "Did that cursed leg of yours stop working again?"

"Must've gotten some sand in it..."

"You're always getting some sand in it."

"Well, it's not like I can help it," Kai snapped back. His eyebrows furrowed together over the thin bridge of his nose.

He knelt down with great difficulty, his right leg making a slight popping sound while he did so, and rolled up his jeans as best he could to have a look at it. It was a prosthetic leg. It was also mostly metal , appearing to be made of either brass or copper, and the armored plates were lined with rivets. There were gears where the apparatus was connected to what was left of his original thigh as well as the artificial knee and ankle joints, but they had all come to a halt.

"Can't do much about it here, I guess," the young man decided after giving the leg a once over. "Mind giving me a hand?"

"Goddess, you're useless." Despite the grit of his voice, Gray reached down to help his crippled friend. He hoisted him up with little effort, only grunting in annoyance once, and gave Kai his shoulder to lean on. "Hope Ann can fix it without her killing you first."

"Yeah," Kai chuckled. "Let's hope..."


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

The two men hobbled through town. In the hour it took to walk to the inn, Kai struggled not to smile while Gray kept his eyes on the lamp hung at the door. The inn was two stories with a flat tile roof and even flatter whitewashed walls, but neither one complained.

"Don't know why you even bother with that thing," Gray growled, "You can't even use it half the time anyway."

"Maybe not," Kai agreed. He cast a glance down at the prosthetic, and a sudden sadness swept over his face. "Still," he said, much more to himself than his companion, "it does keep me going the other half."

Kai bit his lip and pushed through the door open with his own weight. He kept his thoughts from the few elderly patrons at the bar which stared at him. How many years had he seen those same curious looks? Just as many as he had just smiled back, he supposed.

"Hey! Where's the lady of the house?" the crippled man asked. When no one answered, he sighed and began to turn back. "Well, I suppose we'll be taking our business elsewhere then..."

"Oh no, you don't."

Ann huffed when she caught sight of the two men, first staring down Kai before turning her attention to the man standing behind him. "And what's _he_ doing here?" she accused, jabbed a calloused finger in his face. "I thought I told you I didn't want him in my bar."

"Yes, you did," Kai said with weak chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seeing how you were more than willing to have me pay for the room, however, I'm afraid he needs to at least be able to use the stairs."

"You didn't pay me with honest money, I'll wager."

"Does it matter when it comes to business?"

The young woman's face became a dark red which seamlessly bled into her equally dark red hair, but she chose not to argue. Instead, she put her hands on her bony hips and brought her attention down along Kai's leg. Her blue eyes sparked to life again, and she crouched down immediately and let her gaze fall on the brass of his artificial kneecap. She was quiet for a moment while she tried to move it, but when it refused to give, she shook her head in disappointment.

"Let me guess, Viento, you got sand in it."

"Doesn't he-"

"No one asked you," she snapped, glaring up at Gray. "Now... let's see what we can do in the workroom." Ann stood upright, brushing off the dust of the wood floor from her overalls, and made her way behind the counter and into the room tucked behind the liquor cabinet.

The two men followed without question, and once again, Kai was left to rely on the help of his own redheaded companion. They said nothing to each other, but he couldn't help glancing at the other without some genuine concern. It was a feeling that was somewhat misplaced given his current state, but the moment didn't last.

"Quit looking at me like that," Gray warned with his eyes fixed straight ahead. "It's no trouble as long as you got one leg working right. You know I just like to bitch."

The pair smiled as they shuffled into the kitchen. Ann didn't seem to care enough to notice while clearing the small table in the center of the cramped space, her elbow almost knocking over the gas lamp beside the sink. She did this with one sweep of her arm, and the papers that had once been scattered there became a great heap at the far end of the wooden slab. Then, from inside a bench along the wall behind it, she pulled out a rusted out toolbox.

"Sit there," the young woman ordered, pointing to the seat beside her. Kai did as he was told, and she nodded in approval. "All right," she continued with a stern look. "Let's take a gander at that leg of yours first. We want to make sure it's just sand before I start to clean her out."

Her patient obediently sat back in his chair and let her fuss over the troublesome thing. Although he winced when she bent it at the artificial joint, the truth was Kai felt nothing. It wasn't even the sound of compressed air being released or the way the pressure gage jostled against where metal and leather met skin. It was something else that caused the shadow over his face.

No, the first thing he noticed was that Gray had gone. No doubt he'd fled up to the room they shared to wait for his drink. Kai couldn't blame him since the whole procedure was quite dull, and he still intended to keep his promise. After all, the night's earnings were more than enough to pay for than just a heavy dusting.

Aside from his companion being gone, there was very little else for the man to take interest in. The kitchen was small and bare without a single decoration on the walls or resting in the shelves and opened cupboards. Like the wood shack he had left only a couple hours before, the room was a dusty brown, and even the once red sandstone countertops were faded and worn from being in near constant use day after day. This made him wonder if color could even exist in a place like Mineral Town.

"You really should think about getting yourself some auto mail," Ann said, having finished her own inspection. "You'd still have to worry about cleaning out the joints, but at least you wouldn't have any gears that would get stuck like this."

"It's too bad I have such thin skin then and an even thinner wallet," Kai replied. He shivered with the thought of his nerves being connected to something more unnatural than what he had. After all, his current leg was powered by a form of water, and that was uncomfortable enough.

"Well, it's not like you guys could afford it with throwing dice," she muttered, taking up the lamp behind her. Having placed it between them on the table, she went back to the old bench. This time she pulled out what looked to be an empty gas can, but it also looked like the prosthetic with its brass sides and various gears and pumps. "Won't take me long," Ann assured him. "Just need to clear out that knee, I think."

"I figured."

She glared at him. He knew just as well as she did that she hated to be offered a diagnosis by her own patient. Of course, that didn't stop him from smiling. He always enjoyed how being right just made her all the more upset.

"Kai Viento, do I really have to tell you to keep your mouth shut?" He shrugged. "I might be a cook, a waitress, a barmaid, and an innkeeper's daughter, but I also happen to be the only mechanic here that's willing to put up with your crap. You better treat me with some respect."

"Yes, of course," he agreed with a grin. "You worry too much, Ann."

"I know," she huffed. "That's the only reason I can't tell you 'no' even when I should." The man laughed at that, but she only continued to glare. "You're such an asshole. Even worse than that Gray Cameron."

"But you love me."

"Only because you pay me."

"I could always pay you with kisses then."

"The way you go about kissing girls around here, they wouldn't be worth a penny."

Both he and the young woman exchanged glances, but while he had been grinning since the beginning, she was the first one to laugh. This, of course, made him laugh as well, and soon their faces were turning red with it. That was before he tried to lean forward and there was a loud pop.

Ann was quick to see to the damage, and if the way her lips had become such a thin line was any indication, the problem was much more than sand being caught in the gears. However, after holding her breath for a moment, she sighed.

"Just a hole in the leather," she explained. "You look at bit dry, too, now that I can see inside. Good thing we caught it now, or you'd just be back in tomorrow."

"Can you fix it?" he asked. "I know you'd need it for the night, but I can manage until tomorrow morning." Ann nodded, and before he could thank her, she began to undo the leather belt that held it to his natural leg. He tried to insist on doing it himself, but she waved him off.

"I know what it looks like," the young woman reminded him. "Rick might've been the one to make this thing for you in the first place, but I was still the one to fix it for you when you lost the foot. I had to take it off then, too, you know."

Kai became sullen and said nothing as she pulled away the artificial limb. His stump of a leg wasn't the horror he often told himself it was, but it did look a little unsightly. For one, the flesh had long since turned white against his otherwise olive skin, and for another, it was also heavily bruised from the apparatus that was strapped to it day in and day out.

"Just roll your pant leg back down if it bothers you," his mechanic advised. He did so without hesitation, and she sighed to see him refused to tie the denim off. "I'll go and get Gray, so you sit tight and wait for us."

This order didn't sit well with her patient, either, for when Ann had ducked out of the room, he was up on his only foot with his opposite hand on the table for support. He hopped once and almost lost his balance, catching himself on his chair. However, he wasn't easily discouraged, and with renewed determination, he turned the chair around to use as a walker.

By the time Gray and the young woman had returned, Kai was halfway across the bar. Ann could only sigh, but the other man was less understanding. He simply picked up his crippled friend and swung him over his back.

"I should have that leg done up by tomorrow," the hostess called up after them. "I'll bring it up to you in the morning with your breakfast!"


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"I don't know why you always have to come here to get that damn leg fixed," Gray muttered. "I could fix it for you, you know. Hell, I wouldn't even charge you if it meant not having to deal with that woman."

"Ann isn't that bad," Kai yawned. He lay on his bed with his back pressed firmly against the wall. Although he was usually the more energetic of the two, he was much more subdued than before. "The only problem is you two are too much alike."

"Don't compare me to that little witch." As if to put the very thought of the young woman out of his mind, Gray turned to the bottle resting beside him on the table and took one large swallow. A single bead of amber liquid trickled down its smooth glass neck. "We ought to just up and leave this place," he grumbled. "No business around here anymore."

While Kai didn't answer him, he was more than inclined to agree. He had never been one to stay in town for very long, so the itch to move was even stronger. The only reason he had even bothered to live there for so many years was because of his disability.

The silence between the two men continued as the room slowly drew the energy out of them. Gray was far too concerned with his less talkative companion to give much notice, and his bedridden friend was all but asleep. The only thing that kept him awake was the distinct feeling that walls were closing in on them.

It was then that there came a knock at the door. Although it was a quiet sound, barely audible to the ear, Kai still sat upright. His friend glanced at the wall, and his irritable scowl quickly returned. However, after seeing the crippled man try to stand and answer the door, he groaned. "Just come in already," he said. "Door's open."

After a beat of silence, the knob turned and the room was opened up to the hallway. Another woman, wearing a long black braid and a calico dress, stood in the doorway clinging to a manila folder. Her full lips were drawn back in an uncertain smile while her dark eyes flitted from one man to the other. At last, she took a deep breath and sighed.

"Good evening, Kai." She greeted him with a nod and readjusted her lasses. Then she turned her attention to her left and narrowed her gaze as it fell on the bottle resting there. "Gray."

The man in question only huffed and leaned further back in his chair. "There's more if you want it," he offered, tilting his head in the direction of the bottle. "Whiskey might be a little strong for you, though."

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline the offer," the woman replied. Having excused herself, she stepped gingerly into the room and sat in the empty bed. She was quiet as she opened the folder, flipping past every individual paper until she found one that caught her attention. She paused to skim through the document. "I think I may have a job for you," she began. "It's an out of town deal, but that seems appropriate… at least in my opinion."

"As long as it's some damn work, we'll take it."

"Well, thank you for bringing it to our attention, Mary," Kai interrupted, glaring back at his friend. "We were getting a little worried that we might be out of work in this town."

"Yes, and though I can sympathize, I have to say most of us prefer things being this quiet," Mary sighed. She smiled then, plucking the paper she had been mulling over out of its file, and offered it to him. "This shouldn't be too much trouble for either of you," she went on. "From what I understand, it's a simple case of stolen livestock- mostly cattle- and your man has even been identified. All we really need is for you two to find him and bring him in for trial."

"An open and close case if I ever heard one," Kai mused with a wry smile. He studied the document for a time, making notes as he went along. When he got to the last few lines, he suddenly frowned. "So Jack's place is the one in trouble then?"

The woman sighed once again. "Yes," she agreed. "That's not going to be a problem, is it? Jack Johnson has been the only one to give an official complaint, but he's hardly the one having this kind of trouble."

Kai was quiet for a moment, but he eventually came to shake his head and resumed smiling. "So who's this Vaughn Williams anyway?" he asked. "Isn't he an animal trader over in Sunshine?"

"He was," Mary corrected, dipping back into her file. She withdrew a small black and white photograph. Although the image was grainy, it was still clearly the face of a man. "This portrait is a few years old," she explained, "but all the accounts match up quite well. Some of the witnesses even stated that they recognized him from previous business."

The lack of color made it difficult to discern any striking features, but it was easy enough to distinguish that his hair was light and his clothes were dark- perhaps even black. His jaw was also rather sharp, much like the end of a spade, and his gaze was both cold and direct.

"We're having trouble finding an exact time where he switched to stealing cattle," Mary continued. "However, it does seem as though the change occurred only in the past couple of months. His bounty is still rather small, but as I'm sure you can understand, my father would like this matter taken care of as soon as possible."

"Then the mayor should up the bounty," Gray grumbled from his corner. "Unlike that husband of yours, we're not exactly your friendly neighborhood sheriffs."

"Don't mind him, Mary," Kai assured her quickly. "He's getting to the point where the liquor's too much for him." His companion muttered a curse under his breath and went to stand, but he soon sat back down again and began grumbling all over again. "See? He always get likes this about half way through the bottle. Don't you, Gray?"

"Shut the hell up."

"Would it better for me to come back tomorrow morning then?" the woman offered as she went to stand. "I can leave the files here with you to read through if you would like."

"That would be appreciated," Kai agreed. Then he chucked, sounding more forced than he wanted to admit, and lay back on his bed. "I'd show you out, but I think that might be more trouble than it's worth."

"I still appreciate the sentiment," she assured him. Just before leaving, she slipped Gray a sidelong glance. "I do hope you are feeling more amiable tomorrow," she said, her voice quiet and sad. "Good night then."


End file.
